Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) - I would like to share with you a little story explaining why I believe in God.

I understand such a conversation may be an automatic turnoff to those of you who do not believe in a higher power, but I assure you there's a nugget in this story for everyone. After all, when you get right down to it, we all believe in something.

My story begins with a little restaurant off Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids called Rose's. It's not too fancy and a little pricey, but the location's good and the pizza's better. Over the years I must've eaten there at least a hundred times. But on this one particular day, something strange happened on the way to Rose's - I couldn't find it.

soundoff(280 Responses)

I am agnostic to all religions but I do feel close to God when I am in nature learning natural selection,animal behavior I feel @ peace and love planet earth. Humans really complicate things though

May 1, 2011 at 1:19 pm |

Jeff

I tried to put in a link to youtube in my last post and I'm not sure it was accepted so I'm just repeating what I wrote, but without the link.

I've often thought of live in this world as everyone being in a small boat. Some people row and some people sleep. Some people even drill holes in hull – while others are desperately bailing out the water. But whatever we do effects everyone and we live our lives effected by what everyone else does. No individual suffers only for their own sins. Disasters effect everyone involved whether it was a result of their sins or not. Now as far as natural disasters – those are little hard to blame on sin, so that would take faith in the story of creation and the flood and how before sin the planet was perfect, but sin brought in death, disease, poisons, thorns, storms, floods, droughts and even earthquakes. But even if you just can't except that there are still very clearly man-made disasters: war, economic famine, pollution and political abuse. Pollution is a prime example of how everyone suffers for the sins of a few.

And why doesn't God just come in and plug the holes? (And maybe even throw the drillers into the sea! ha!) It's because He is the spirit of Love and he lives and breaths through each of us as we live and love. If He just solved all the problems there would be no opportunity to learn and grow in love. There could be no clear demonstration of love. There simply would be no avenue for it truly flow and show it's worth in this world. He does promise to at least stop the world once we've made such a mess that we, ourselves with His love, cannot fix it. He'll then correct everything and I guess we start again. (Like with the flood.)

OK – so if everyone is in the same boat, what should we do? Well, I think it's clear. We should be as loving as possible. We should be bailing out the water and trying to plug the holes. As well as trying to convince those who are drilling the holes to stop. Simple story, but in real life it's a very large and complicated endeavor. Love, is and always has been, the solution to all our problems.

May 1, 2011 at 1:07 pm |

Jeff

Rob Bell gives a great explanation about God and how we can tune in to him.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bor_2sowtHcrel0&w=640&h=360]

I've often thought of live in this world as everyone being in a small boat. Some people row and some people sleep. Some people even drill holes in hull – while others are desperately bailing out the water. But whatever we do effects everyone and we live our lives effected by what everyone else does. No individual suffers only for their own sins. Disasters effect everyone involved whether it was a result of their sins or not. Now as far as natural disasters – those are little hard to blame on sin, so that would take faith in the story of creation and the flood and how before sin the planet was perfect, but sin brought in death, disease, poisons, thorns, storms, floods, droughts and even earthquakes. But even if you just can't except that there are still very clearly man-made disasters: war, economic famine, pollution and political abuse. Pollution is a prime example of how everyone suffers for the sins of a few.

And why doesn't God just come in and plug the holes? (And maybe even throw the drillers into the sea! ha!) It's because He is the spirit of Love and he lives and breaths through each of us as we live and love. If He just solved all the problems there would be no opportunity to learn and grow in love. There could be no clear demonstration of love. There simply would be no avenue for it truly flow and show it's worth in this world. He does promise to at least stop the world once we've made such a mess that we, ourselves with His love, cannot fix it. He'll then correct everything and I guess we start again. (Like with the flood.)

OK – so if everyone is in the same boat, what should we do? Well, I think it's clear. We should be as loving as possible. We should be bailing out the water and trying to plug the holes. As well as trying to convince those who are drilling the holes to stop. Simple story, but in real life it's a very large and complicated endeavor. Love, is and always has been, the solution to all our problems.

May 1, 2011 at 1:01 pm |

Muneef

It is often asked that “If there is a God, why does He let natural disaster like the Tsunami happen or is this Divine Punishment?”
http://www.free-islamic course.org/NaturalDisasterorDivinePunishment.html

April 30, 2011 at 8:16 pm |

Muneef

All about the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)
http://www.rasoulallah.net/v2/index.aspx?lang=en

April 30, 2011 at 7:27 pm |

Muneef

Salvation in Islam (part 1 of 3): What is Salvation?
Salvation in Islam (part 2 of 3): Worship and Obey God.
Salvation in Islam (part 3 of 3): Repentance.

The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.